Citroen Xsara Picasso

55/06 Xsara Picasso – Unsure its 110hp so I assume its 16v as there is an older variant with just 100hp?

Are you that tired of life that you’ve resorted to this?

Are you that tired of life that you’ve resorted to this?

I need a big mobile skip to tied me over until March when my cars lease ends.

For £1,900 please tell me where I can buy a big, reliable, decent but ugly looking car that can do all this?

I’ve owned and driven nice cars. I looked at circa 2005 Volvo V70’s but boy they have big bills.

I’ll own a drive nice cars again but for the money/what it is- its a bloody good car.

What nice cars have you owned?

B5 Pissat

Will last longer and be easier to fix. Have you ever worked on a French car?

I looked at circa 2005 Volvo V70’s but boy they have big bills.

Is not a nice car

Something a bit quicker

I literally need a car for 5months. The Passat does nothing for me. Its even duller to drive than a Xsara Picasso. Looks don’t come into this. Its practicality and price. Come March and if the shed has proved worthy its S2000 time.

“Something a bit quicker”- I drove a 2.8 4motion Golf for 6weeks back in 2006. I averaged 14mpg.

Nothing says you’ve given up on life more than a Citroen Xsara Picasso. Don’t forget to wear the permanent hang-dog expression of a beaten man, as you sit parked up in the lay bay of your local dogging hotspot, gently weeping to yourself as the self-loathing kicks in, having just done something unspeakable with a lorry driver from Doncaster

Actually…. its your ideal car 😀

Its practicality and price

But you’d rather have a French car than ze German one

The passat you’ll easily sell for similar money. People always want them. French cars are a bastard to work on, I’ve done it and Ze German ones are far easier to service/fix

Oh, and you won’t want an S2000 because you won’t fit in it. My friend has one, anyone over 5’11 needs to look elsewhere

Proper dull but will NEVER break

We had a 1.6HDI Grand Picasso a while back. There’s lots of space, the usual Citroen weirdness and for a 1.6 turdbo diseasal there’s a decent amount of oomph.

The downsides were the flimsy plastics, the auto gearbox that required a decades’ advance written notice of a desired gearchange and the rather woolly handling. Perhaps, not surprisingly with a small engine and a big-ish turbo, I often got caught out by turbo lag and the lack of a clutch means that you can’t blip the engine to keep the revs up.

I wouldn’t have another.

Flange the MX5 has the same affliction. Theres probably easy fix to that. On the MX5 I removed the sun visor and moved the seat forward a tad/reclined the back.

PJM1974 – how much did you pay though? I’m obviously paying nowhere near what you probably paid for yours.

There isn’t – because I looked into buying it but it just wasn’t feasible.

Suggest Honda Stream – so you can learn the Honda way whilst having a spare engine for the S2000 😉

It’s not worthwhile making any sensible suggestions on any of Hora’s car threads.

This thread is over a year old and he’s just resurrected it. It’s not his first car thread on here or on PH and it won’t be his last.

He’s a fantasist, a dreamer…nothing ever changes. At least dream about something better than a Picasso!

PJM1974 – how much did you pay though? I’m obviously paying nowhere near what you probably paid for yours.

Nothing – it was the MiL’s leased car.

Doosuk I was one year into a two year lease a year ago.

The xsara picasso is one of the worst cars I’ve ever driven. Its a miserable grey vanilla thing on wheels. The steering column/wheel, seats, and pedals don’t line up. I’ve had this in other cars (e36 coupe) but this is also miserable to drive so it just makes it even worse.

It is very practical though. So is a Fiat Multipla and a Zafira, wouldn’t have any of them either…

Whereas I have driven numerous Audi’s and VW’s that are worse/with even less soul and steer/feel bad. The MKIV Golf and Touran being hideous.

Its all subjective.

Kill it. With fire!

That said, the newer shaped ones I really like and the brand spankers ones look epic!

If you’re after that sort of car then Vauxhall have a blinding deal on a new (old shape) Zafiras.

£11k for a new 7 seater car is dammit cheap…

http://www.pentagon-group.co.uk/offers/new-car/new-vauxhall-zafira-exclusiv-mpv-from-only-9995

DBW The new Renault Scenic is stunning but who would drop tens of thousands on a new car nowadays?!

The new c4 Picasso looks nice, the xsara version is hideous

Lot of criticism of the seats but I always found it very comfortable with good back support. Drove to the Alps a couple of times with no discomfort at all. It’s not pretty, but it does the job.

The new c4 Picasso looks nice

Oh I agree but again missing the point. The cheapest ones are twice the price. I don’t want to spend 4k+ on something for the short term.

In March with no more lease payments, wasted insurance etc I want to buy something decent. For the money theres nowt out there.

(No I wouldn’t drive round in a high mileage Ford).

Sold mine with 165,000 on the clocks… only things wrong were the suspension stuff, but it was back and forth every day on terrible terrible roads, so it wasn’t exactly the cars fault.

The only time mine let me down the water in the coolijng system froze, however the temp gauge was showing -18.

I don’t get how this would be a problem though – surely the bits that needed cooling would be cold enough to operate and would simply defrost any fluid that was frozen once they began to warm up? We had many -30c nights and never had a problem like this – batteries, alarms and occasionally fuel supply, yes, but not cooling…

Got one.

Took a chance and bought one 230miles away in Scotland. A couple of minor issues to sort out (pads low/clutch cable) but sat in the back lounging eating my sarnies at the services I felt like a King (not had space inside a car for a longtime!). It felt fine on the motorway- no issues for me.

Cheers all 🙂

One thing thats taken a while to figure out. I couldn’t get on with how to drive it. Then I moved the seat forward (I normally sit way back/seat right at the back of the rails), that immediately made the car feel spot-on as the pedals are angled to van-driving feel aren’t they? I’ve heard people complain about the driving position but if you approach it van-like its spot on.

Rear seats removed and front seats pushed forward you can fit a air bed and camp in there too 8) a massive bonus if its just me staying away and not the family camping- no need for a tent.

Update- as a ‘cheap’ option its bloody brilliant. Very very ugly but as I’ve said recently to chrisdiesel off here – I can’t find fault/excuse to get rid.

I’ve been thinking about one of these. I’m in the market for something cheap and cheerful. No more than £1500. Something to slam bikes in and not worry about it. I was thinking of the Berlingo but I wanted cruise control. Anyone got the 2.0HDi engine? What kind of MPG are you getting?

I did have, it was 43mpg average if i’m not mistaken. I only sold it as it had 165,000 on it and was getting tired… still all worked though

Thanks Weeksy. Thats not as high as I had hoped for. Maybe I should just get a Passat estate.

td75 do you ‘need’ a diesel?

Do a spreadsheet on the purchase price difference, factor in the odd bill and mileage/average etc. More things to go wrong on a diesel..

You maybe right Hora. I’ve always bought diesels. I’ve never been a fan of french petrol engines. But I’ve not driven one in a while. I was thinking of looking at the 1.6HDi but I’ve heard that isn’t a good engine?

I kind of like the idea of getting a Picasso. Higher driving position, space inside and possible camp in it with the seats out. Also if I get the exclusive it’s got cruise control.

Fantastic engine- needs a rigid, proper oil/filter/guaze change though. I testdrove one and liked it.

Citroen petrols- aren’t bad. I’ve done 6k since December in mine. The only reason that I will be changing mine is when I find a decent Subaru.

I’ve heard the 2.0HDi is more a robust engine? I will have to have a look into the 1.6. Have you camped in yours yet? Is there much space inside? Cheers Tim

If I found a 1.6HDI with full (annuual) service history I’d buy that one.

Otherwise I’d get the 2.0HDI.

If my mileage was <15,000 a year I’d get a Berlingo or Picasso 1.6 petrol.

Cheaper to buy, cheaper fuel and only 7mpg difference? All cancels out but chosing a petrol gives you a wider secondhand market to chose from?

I ‘think’ you can retro-fit CC. Have a look at the forums. It’ll give you a Berlingo then (which is alot less ugly).